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Questions
The New York Yankees recently accused the Boston Red Sox of stealing hand signals from Yankee catchers. Sign-stealing is not against the rules. It is generally accepted in baseball, except in this case. Why did Major League Baseball’s commissioner promise a “thorough investigation” in this case? (What made this incident different?)
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the answers.
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Cartoon by Chip Bok
Answers
It was the use of technology that was the violation. It is against MLB rules to use any form of technology to steal signs.
A Red Sox trainer used an Apple Watch to receive information in the dugout from video replay personnel and then relayed that information to some players.
[MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said, “We actually do not have a rule against sign-stealing. It has been a part of the game for a very, very long time. To the extent that there was a violation of the rule here, it was a violation by one or the other [team] that involved the use of electronic equipment. It’s the electronic equipment that creates the violation.”]